


I Swear

by Skyrah



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Abusive Relationship, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Constructive Criticism Welcome, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, I Tried, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Mostly Mental Abuse, On Hiatus, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Slow To Update, Swearing, Takes Place After Chapter 2
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-05
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2018-11-09 17:08:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11109057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyrah/pseuds/Skyrah
Summary: Sammy Lawrence had always been loyal to Bendy, but now he's starting to realize that Bendy doesn't care about him.  After deciding to switch sides and join forces with Henry and Boris as revenge though, he's not sure he really wants to hurt the one he still loves.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: This fanfiction contains an abusive relationship (if you didn't see it in the tags). It doesn't contain physical/sexual abuse as of now (if it does get put in, it will be added in the tags. I do plan on having some in the far future), but still. Don't wanna accidentally trigger anyone.
> 
> Ok, I've had this idea simmering in my mind for a while. I originally began posting on fanfiction.net, but I decided to post it here since there's actually an audience for Sammy/Bendy on this site (Yay! :D).
> 
> Thing is...I've never written an abusive relationship before. I'm trying my best with only what I gathered from Springhole.net's article on abusive relationships but I know it's probably going to suck compared to others with experience. So if anyone has any criticism (constructive, of course), do not hesitate. I'd appreciate the feedback.

I watched Bendy disappear to pursue my sacrifice, taking my love for him away. In its place...sadness. Perhaps disappointment in myself. I had captured that man for Bendy. That human had been wandering around, trying to escape. But I stopped him first so Bendy could have a new henchman. I thought he would appreciate the gesture. That man had injured many of the Searchers with his axe, but I was the one who captured him. The one who had bested him. Yet, Bendy didn't like it. Had I done something wrong?

  
I wondered this as I continued playing dead. Bendy still searched for the sacrifice (my mind continued insisting that he was familiar...had he been a coworker in my past life?). After a while, it was safe. I forced myself to pick up my mask, put it on, move and hide in the cracks of the wall. I didn't want to go any further, so I just relaxed as a pool of ink to wait until Bendy calmed down. That...was a mistake.

  
"Shoot. Henry ran away _again_. At least I can recycle that idiotic Sammy Lawrence's body- Where did it go?" I heard Bendy wonder. He was right in front of me. Could he sense my presence? My hurt? My confusion? My sadness? Did he even care?

  
"I guess someone else already got to it. Not that it's even any use to them," Bendy laughed. "Still, it's curious why someone would want it. And who? A friend? No, he had none. Always locking himself away. Everyone knew to not interact with him. He was a loner who wouldn't let anyone in."

  
I stiffened. It was strange to hear a cartoon talk about your life and get every detail correct.

  
Bendy continued to guess. "A lover? Ha! If he had no friends, why would he have a lover? Why would any girl want him? Or any boy for that matter? Although...he did love one person. Or shall we say...demon?"

  
The demon cackled. "Ah, Sammy Lawrence. The man who locked himself away and wouldn't give anyone the time of day, except for the ink demon who lured him with lies so now that heartbroken inky musician cries. I still find it ridiculous that he believed it all. His faith and love for me led to his downfall."

  
The ink devil cackled once again. Not the mirthful one I had enjoyed. One that pierced needles into my nonexistent heart. Did he not understand how I felt? Had he been playing my emotions? Was the word "love" not in his vocabulary?

  
"Don't be silly, Sammy. He said he loved me," I told myself. "And didn't he have Alice Angel as his girlfriend? He loved her. You're just being silly."

  
"Well, well, ink well. Looks like I found my missing body- a little more alive than I left it," I heard Bendy muse, and chills ran down my entire body. He had noticed me at the wrong time.

  
Bendy had turned to face my direction while grinning like the maniac he was, staring at the ink puddle that was my body. "Nice to see you, Sammy Lawrence. How long have you been here, hiding in the wall like a coward? A foolish one too, for speaking out loud while you knew I was here."

  
"Um-" I started, but the demon just waved his hand at me.

  
"I don't want to hear it. It seems I neglected to make sure I finished my job. That Henry continually distracts me. Perhaps it's the fact he looks pretty good for being his 50's. Yes, Sammy, I know you were thinking that. Well, I can't read your mind, but I bet you were thinking that."

  
If I were still fully human, my face would've been burning. "Y- you know that's not true."

  
Bendy's grin grew. "Aw, poor Sammy. Did I offend you?"

  
"N- no. Um, about neglecting to finish your job-"

  
"Liar. Remember, you told me you'd never lie to me."

  
"I'm sorry, my lord, but I don't like you making nasty remarks about me. Please don't take that as an insult. I would never do that."

  
Bendy sighed, a hint of disbelief and frustration hidden within it. "Look here, Sammy. You want to be free, right? I promised I would set you free."

  
"But you didn't."

  
"No, I just haven't finished my end. I tried to, but obviously...I failed. So, I will set you free right now. Just get out of the wall."

  
I had two choices; obey, or do something I thought I'd never do. Disobey. If I obeyed, I would be free. I would no longer be trapped. But...more might fall for Bendy's act. For the way he ran in to save you. For the charming grin he had. For the promises he made. And it all would happen because I wasn't my own person (or ink monster, or whatever I was) and I let him control me. Because of my cowardice.

  
If I disobeyed, I had a chance to stop him. I could fight against him like the man I had chosen for the sacrifice...Henry. That was his name. The right-hand man for Joey Drew. I could try to help Henry stop Bendy.

  
But would he really trust me? Of course not. To expect so was a fools' thought. Bendy had been the only one to accept me before. And maybe he wouldn't hurt me again. He really would set me free. Perhaps he really did love me and he didn't lie...

  
"Tick tock, Sammy," Bendy interrupted my thoughts.

  
I began to step out, but something triggered in my mind; an old memory. Before I became what I was today. It was a time before Bendy had been around...a blissful time. Henry, Joey...Susie? Was that who the girl was? Those three along with a few of my other coworkers. Norman was there, even Wally wasn't currently getting in a fight with me. Everyone was there, and I was...happy. I was less stressed, working hard to pursue my dreams and help everyone with theirs'. We were small back then, but we believed we could become big. I was more chipper, friendly, open...the opposite of what I was today.

  
"You don't have to end like this," my mind whispered. "Think about what you lost."

  
"But you'll lose Bendy!" My heart pointed out.

  
"But is that worth losing the happiness you had- and could get back?" My mind countered.

  
"C'mon, Sammy. Get out of here right this instant!" Bendy ordered.

  
My mind won for now. I slipped back into the wall and began to quickly flow away.

  
There was a moment of pause, and then Bendy realized what I had done. A screech of fury thundered through the workshop.

  
"Sammy Lawrence! Get your donkey- Ugh, stupid censors. GET BACK HERE!" Bendy roared as I slid through the walls.

  
After a while, I rested. I was in the upper parts of the workshop where the animation happened. I could be safe here; ink wouldn't be considered out of the ordinary.

  
"What had I done?" I asked myself. "Well, Sammy, you obviously figured out something that made you decide to leave. But what? And why did it make me go?"

  
My brain soon answered.

  
Bendy had been such a kind soul when he first appeared. He seemed genuinely concerned for my wellbeing and how I felt. It was like he...loved me. But I knew the truth now.

  
Bendy wasn't a savior. He was a destroyer. He killed whatever touched him. He needed to be destroyed before he could destroy everything else. Before he could trap everyone else like he trapped us. Before he broke anyone else. Before he broke everyone like he broke me. He needed to be stopped.

  
At least that's what I thought before I felt my consciousness slip away. It was time to sleep- or try to. I could find Henry later, when I had a bit more energy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back! Sorry, I meant to post this a couple days ago, but some...unforeseeable events happened. So...I have nothing left to say. :P
> 
> Oh wait, there's swearing. And replacement swears for Boris.

I found him.

  
Henry quietly wandered the halls, no axe in hand. Every time the floor creaked, he quickly scanned the room, but kept a straight face and continued. Behind him, a familiar wolf was following.

  
"Here, Boris?" Henry asked as the two entered the side room. I was still in the walls, and I rested. Eventually I'd come out, but for now, I felt it was best to wait. I'd see how they went, carefully follow, and then reveal myself.

  
"Yup! I know I saw an axe in here!" The wolf replied. "At least I think I did earlier."

  
Henry nodded. "We'll keep looking if we don't. Let's see..."

  
He started towards where I was hiding. Did everyone have a way to zone in on me? I didn't care. He started moving boards, and I moved a bit farther to the left.

  
His head cocked at the sound of the swishing ink. "Boris? Did you hear that?"

  
"Nah, I didn't hear anything. I smell something though..." Boris remarked, sniffing. "Can you step out for a bit?"

  
Henry obeyed as the cartoon continued sniffing. "Tell me when."

  
A few moments passed. "Go ahead and come back in. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't you; some of that ink can linger on someone after a while."

  
Henry came back in. "What is it, buddy?"

  
"We're not alone. I smell ink."

  
"Does that mean...?"

  
"It might. Bendy, come out. It's me, your ol' pal, Boris!"

  
Of course nothing happened. Bendy wasn't here, and he wouldn't have responded to that call.

  
"We won't hurt you," Henry added. Lies. I saw him reaching for a plank of wood. Not a good choice for self-defense, but a guy took what he could.

  
"Did you see anyone else made of ink here in the studio?" Boris asked.

"Just some Searchers. But they hide in plain sight and we would've noticed their ink puddles. That's it."

  
"Really?"

  
"Yes, I believe so-" Henry cut off and chuckled.

  
"What's so funny?" Boris asked, tilting his head.

  
"Nothing, I'm just laughing at my bad memory," the man explained, containing his laughter and shaking his head. "How did I forget about him? I also saw Sammy Lawrence, but..."

  
"But what?" Boris urged after the man had trailed off.

  
"Bendy killed him," Henry finished solemnly. "Therefore, it has to be Bendy since there are no Searchers and Sammy's dead."

  
I immediately forgot my original plan and chose that moment to make my reveal. "That's what you believe," I said, sliding out and quickly materializing in front of them while slipping my mask back on. "Nice to see you again, Henry. Boris, looking good. As in, you're no longer cut open."

  
Henry charged and swung the board at me, but I jumped out of the way while Boris growled. Henry landed face first onto the floor, nearly missing the wall. Just in case, I backed up to the other side of the room and created a thin wall of ink to protect myself as the former animator stood back up.

  
"What in hell...Sammy? But-" Henry started, but I interrupted him there.

  
"Yes, Bendy killed me, I'm supposed to be dead, etc. etc. Surprise. I'm still here, just like your companion. We were both supposedly murdered by Bendy, but look! We're alive now."

  
"How do you know that he killed me?" Boris growled. "Wait a minute...that's right. You were there too! You were there when he strapped me down to that table! You helped him, you son of a beach!"

  
As Henry stared at the wolf in shock and turned to face me with disbelief, I ignored him and continued. "Relax. I'm not here to sacrifice you both to him. I'm over Bendy."

  
Henry's expression changed, suspicion now evident in his eyes. "Then why do you still wear that mask? And what do you even want from us?"

  
I reached up to touch it, but didn't remove it. "I prefer to hide my face for now. I'm here to help."

  
Boris was laughing now and slapped his knee. "You help us? What's next, Bendy is a misunderstood tortured soul and just wants revenge on all the workers here because they tortured him and killed me? Tell me another one. Ha ha! You should've been a comedian instead of a musician!"

  
"No, I'm serious. That ink demon nearly killed me."

  
"Sorry, who tried sacrificing me to that same 'ink demon'?" Henry asked.

  
"Yeah, we don't need your help," Boris added, finally containing his obnoxious laughter. "Come on, Henry. We'll find an axe somewhere else."

  
The two started for the door, but I blocked it with ink. "You're not going anywhere."

  
Henry gave me a funny look. "For someone wanting my trust, you're not doing a good job of trying to get it. But given that in the later years I worked here, you never came out of your office except to go to your Sanctuary- and to talk to Joey once in a while, I guess- I'm not surprised."

  
"Excuse me for not caring about others. Wait, that sounded wrong."

  
"I don't trust him. There's something off about him," Boris remarked.

  
I wanted to kill that wolf again, but instead I tried to reason with them. "We both want something. You want to get out of here. I want to try to stop Bendy. If we work together, we can both achieve our goals."

  
"We don't need your help," Henry repeated. "Let us out, Sammy. If you're oh-so determined to stop Bendy, then why don't you work by yourself? You always insisted on doing so before."

  
"I know some of Bendy's secrets. Some of his weaknesses. Not to mention you know this place better than I do. I just know the music floor."

  
Boris continued staring at me. "I still don't trust you. You were there when Bendy killed me. You helped."

  
"How do we know you won't betray us?" Henry added.

  
"Well...you don't. But if you won't accept my offer, have fun stuck in this hell forever. If Bendy kills you because you didn't accept my help, I'll watch you die while I laugh. As your life slips away, the last thing you'll see is my face, cackling as you bleed out. Perhaps if Bendy accepted me again, I could help instigate your deaths, so first I'll be able to slowly and painfully-"

  
"If you promise to shut up, we'll let you tag along," Henry interrupted, defeat in his voice.

  
"Henry!" Boris hissed.

  
"Sorry, buddy. We need all the help we can get. Sammy can control ink, and he knows some inside information on Bendy. Not to mention he's being a pain in the ass, so if he stops if we let him join us, I'm game."

  
"Excellent," I said. "Oh, and if you try to kill me, I won't hesitate to turn on you in response."

  
"Not a problem. I don't go back on deals," Henry promised.

  
Boris still eyed me suspiciously. "I'm more worried about it being the other way."

  
I looked the wolf square in the eye. "I swear I won't sell you short. I'm done with Bendy."

  
As soon as I said that, I started questioning myself. Was I really finished with him? Could I really be over that charming devil? The more I thought about it, the more I felt like it wasn't true.

  
"But Bendy tried killing me. He didn't love me," my mind told me.

  
"Yes he did! He said it to you so many times!" My heart argued.

  
"Right, after he hurt you, apologized, and then blamed it on you 'annoying him'."

  
"But it was your fault. You kept following him and trying to strike a conversation when he was obviously in a bad mood."

  
"He suddenly snapped! He gave no indication of prior anger!"

  
"Sammy! We're going!" Henry snapped his fingers in front of my face.

  
I stiffened upon hearing the noise. "S- Sorry," I muttered, looking down. "I won't do it again, just don't hurt me please."

  
His face softened. "Hey, I'm not going to hurt you. You just...you just went to another world for a moment. You had this dazed expression as you stared off into space and were muttering to yourself. I kept asking if you were ok, but you didn't respond. I didn't mean to scare you, alright?"

  
I nodded, not able to speak due to the lump in my throat. Was he telling the truth? I never got to ask.

  
"The ink walls?" Boris reminded.

  
"Right." I lifted my hand, and the ink stopped cascading down. Before they could leave, I found the axe they had been searching for and carefully tossed it to Henry.

  
Both jumped back as it fell down and landed blade-first into the floor. Henry gave me a weird look- perhaps one of concern?- before he went through the doorway and Boris and I followed.

  
"What exactly are we doing?" I asked.

  
"Trying to find a safe spot to spend the night," Henry answered.

  
"Why?"

  
"Because, unlike you and the other ink monsters, we actually need to sleep," Boris answered, turning his nose up away from me.

  
Henry gave Boris a strict look. "We _need_ to talk later about respect towards others."

  
"Sorry," Boris muttered, now looking down.

  
Was he not an ink creature? But he had been made from the machine too, like Bendy! Then again, he was a perfect replica of his cartoon form, while Bendy...was different. Bendy was much more...well, inky. But he was also darker. More tempting.

  
"This place looks good," Henry remarked, about to drop his few belongings down.

  
"No. I'm pretty sure he comes down through here at night," I explained, walking past the small room. "I have a much better place in mind."

  
"Like what? An operating table?" Boris shot. "For example, where you left me after you were done murdering me? Or do you have more hidden around the studio so you can torture others?"

  
That shot through my heart. I broke down, falling to my knees. The implication was clear, but he was also right. Bendy had told it to me too. I was a monster. I had killed Boris. But it needed to be done! That's what he had told me...

  
"Sammy, are you-" Henry started, about to touch my shoulder.

  
I flinched and pushed him away. Before he could react, I ran into the wall and disappeared.

  
\---

  
I sat alone, the darkness enveloping me. A lone Searcher tried approaching me, but I responded by whacking it and watching it split. The ink seemed to absorb back into the floor, as if it were a sponge. Later, it'd be squeezed out and reconstruct into its horrific, monstrous form.

  
"There you are."

  
I nearly jumped at the sound of Henry's voice and almost hit him with a spare piece of wood. "What do you want? To have Boris continue to mock me? To further humiliate me? Or are you going to mock me yourself?"

  
"No. I'm here to apologize," Boris said, stepping out from behind Henry. "I'm sorry for treating you like you were Shih Tzu. I mean, carp. Why do these censors exist in reality? Sorry, I mean...I'm sorry for treating you like you were nothing."

  
I almost laughed. He had no idea how close to the truth he was. I was nothing, and I knew it. Everything was nothing compared to Bendy. He was magnificence. Grandness. He was the sheer power of God.

  
Next thing I knew it, Henry and Boris were staring as if I grew 2 heads.

  
"What?" I asked.

  
"You, uh, seem to think pretty highly of Bendy for being against him," Henry remarked.

  
Shit. I had voiced my thoughts out loud again. This is normally when Bendy would yell at me and hit me, but Henry only turned away.

  
"Where is that place you were thinking about?" Boris asked.

  
"Up ahead," I muttered.

  
The rest of the walk was in silence, but even without their words, I could tell Henry and Boris didn't trust me. How? Normally people don't exchange looks and quickly bend over to each other with a hand in front of their mouth.

  
That was fine. This was temporary. After I upheld my end, well...we would see if I could carry through with my promise of vengeance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Replacement Swear Translations (For the ones in this chapter):
> 
> Shih Tzu=Shit
> 
> Carp=Crap
> 
> Beach=Bitch


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woops. I forgot I needed to update this. Blame my newfound love of musicals distracting me (mostly "Be More Chill"- I now want to draw Bendy singing "The Pitiful Children"). And laziness.
> 
> I apologize in advance for lame rhymes. I have an inability to rhyme, despite having written a BATIM poem before. :P

Henry and Boris slept, making no sound except for their soft snores. I sat beside them, curious. How could they peacefully sleep knowing Bendy was here? That the Searchers wandered the halls when it was dark? That I, a former villain they didn't trust, was right next to them?

  
I grew restless. I didn't need sleep and even if I did, I wouldn't have been able to. Instead, my mind urged me to wander. To do something with myself. Eventually, I gave in.

  
The sound of swishing ink filled the silent halls. No one else was here. It was like they all retreated further away, out of this area. It was as if they knew something was going to happen.

  
"Sammy Lawrence, the man who locked himself away. Never would give anyone but a demon the time of day. Except now, he works with the supposed protagonist, even though he used to be and loved an antagonist," I suddenly heard behind me, causing chills to run down my spine.

  
I whipped my head back to see Bendy, grinning as ink dripped off of him onto the floor.

  
"Nice seeing ya, Sammy Lawrence. This is quite a surprising occurrence," Bendy recited as if from memory.

  
"What do you want? Go ahead and kill me," I said. "It wouldn't matter."

  
Bendy laughed. "After what you've done, I probably should do that; I heard everything, you little rat."

  
"So you know what I told Henry."

  
"Yes, I overheard your little exchange with the creator. I didn't expect you to change sides, traitor."

  
I almost growled, but restrained myself. It would only anger him more. "Why are you rhyming? You only do that when you want to be cryptic, dramatic, or romantic, and I can tell it's not the last one."

  
"You certainly do know your dear lord Bendy. The demon, quite 'lovely' and you, so lonely."

  
"Stop it. Stop insulting me."

  
Bendy chuckled at my whimpering. "Why do you believe I'm such a bully? You used to watch and woo over me."

  
"Tell me what you want me to hear, or I'm going."

  
The ink monster tilted his head. "Are you sure you really want to leave? That claim is too unlike you for me to believe."

  
"Alright, I'm going. Bye now." I started to turn just as Bendy spoke.

  
"Fine, I'll tell you it straight, maniac. Just know that it's not too late to come back. You know you can just pretend to work with Henry, but secretly work with me. I may grant you some mercy."

  
I didn't reply. Bendy sensed my hesitation and came over, wrapping an arm around me. I shrunk as he grinned.

  
"Come on, my dear sweet Sammy. I'll even make it so in the end it's just you and me. No one else left but us. You know I love you the most, even more than Alice."

  
"But-"

  
"Shh. You know it's true. Do I ever lie?" Bendy asked, breaking out of his rhyming pattern. "After all..." He shrunk to become his more cartoony form, and stared up at me with hopeful eyes. "Would you ever hurt your lil' devil darlin'?"

  
I didn't get to say anything before he screamed and returned to normal. A wound on his chest oozed ink as he whipped his head back. "HENRY!"

  
Henry stood, holding his axe and panting. "Sammy, go."

  
"But-" I started.

  
"Go! I'll be fine!" Henry insisted.

  
Bendy's grin grew wider as the wound disappeared. "Well, well, well. You want a fight then, don't ya, Henry? Why didn't you just say so? You know I can't turn down an invitation; especially if it's from my best pal."

  
A flash of realization crossed Henry's face, but he focused his attention back on the monster in front of him.

  
As Bendy cackled followed by Henry grunting, I ran off, once again a coward. But he told me to, so it was fine, right?

  
Instead of going back to where Boris was, I hid in the walls. I was safe. Nothing could hurt me. Perhaps I should just stay here.

  
Minutes passed. Hours. Perhaps days. I had no concept of time. I just know I kept singing to myself. Finally, I heard them.

  
"Sammy? Where are you?" Henry called out.

  
"Bendy's gone for now!" Boris promised.

  
I cautiously peeked out. They were further ahead, and didn't seem to be out for me.

  
"I'm right here," I answered, fully stepping out.

  
Henry turned to look. "Where were you?"

  
"In the wall."

  
"That explains why I thought I kept hearing you recite the Sheep Song," Boris remarked. "It gave me the creeps. Goodness, I hate that song."

  
"That was the best song I wrote in my entire career here!" I snapped.

  
"That's debatable. The best one was the one that Alice and Bendy sang together about their love for each other," Boris claimed. "What was it, 'Who Needs Heaven When I Got You'? Long title, but still."

  
I looked away. "That one was the worse."

  
"I liked that one too," Henry put in his two cents.

  
I looked at him in confusion and he rolled his eyes. "I have a television set. I don't need to work here to watch the cartoon. 'Opposites Attract' was the best "good" episode before the studio shut down."

  
"You're just saying that. I wrote the song when this company was desperate. It's horrible."

  
"Whatever you say. Let's find a new hiding spot before Bendy finds us," Boris suggested.

  
He and Henry started walking.

  
"Wait," I said.

  
They stopped.

  
"You're... You're not angry at me."

  
"Why would we be? At least right now," Boris added.

  
"You know, because I was talking to Bendy. The enemy."

  
"So? I knew you weren't going to turn on us for him," Henry said.

  
"But Bendy hated it when I talked to anyone else."

  
"We're not Bendy. I don't care if you talk to a crack in the wall. I might think you're crazy, but go ahead and talk. And I know you think I don't trust you."

  
"How'd you know? Because it's true?"

  
"No, I heard you talking to yourself again. But I really do. Trust you, I mean."

  
"But...why?"

  
"There's plenty of reasons. You betray yourself very easily."

  
My lack of response was taken as confusion, so Henry elaborated. "You can't look anyone in the face, you start fidgeting, and you try steering the conversation away; you just can't get away with lying. Not to mention I can tell you're the type of person who'll keep his promise. Heck, maybe it's just because I still see you as your younger self from before the ink machine got installed."

  
Henry was silent after that, refusing to answer my questions. I was still shocked. He trusted me. Someone who used to want him dead. I could kill him now, and he wouldn't suspect it. Except he was right. I couldn't lie very well.

 

I had promised Bendy to never lie, and when you didn't lie...it was hard to start doing so.

  
\---

  
"Sammy, come here! I need to ask you something," Bendy had beckoned as I hunched over my work.

 

"I'm busy, Bendy. Can you wait?" I had asked in response, slightly annoyed. There was a reason I had my own sanctuary.

 

"Come over here now."

  
His tone alerted me something important was going on. I abandoned the music sheet and faced him. "What do you want?"

  
"I need you to promise something," the cartoon had said. "We're friends, right?"

  
"Well, that's...debatable."

  
"Ha ha! Nice joke. I know we're buddies. Anyway, can you promise not to lie to me?"

  
My expression must have betrayed my surprise, as Bendy launched into an explanation. "Joey said humans lie a lot, and while I trust you, I don't want to be lied to. It's like a...a safety mechanism."

  
I shook my head. I couldn't promise that. If he found out-

  
Bendy stared at me with his cartoon eyes. "What are you afraid of?"

  
"Excuse me?"

  
"I can tell you're scared. You can tell me what's going on. I can help!"

 

"No...you can't."

  
"I will! Just promise me you'll always tell the truth and I can help!"

  
"I said you can't! Go!"

  
"I won't until you promise."

  
"Fine. I swear. I'll always tell the truth."

  
"Great! So what's troubling you?"

  
I didn't answer and only turned back to my work. "It's...I don't want to say it."

  
Bendy walked over and hugged me. I felt myself heat up. Did he know what he was doing to me? No, of course not. If he did know, he would immediately leave me. He'd be disgusted.

  
"I'll believe it all, Sammy. I'll listen to you, ok?" Bendy said, burying his tiny head into me. "One day I'll get you to tell me."

  
"Whatever," I responded. "I...I just want to be alone right now."

  
Bendy nodded and left me, a trembling tower of blocks about to fall.

  
It didn't take long for him to learn how I really felt about him. That was when I had collapsed.

  
\---

  
"Goddammit, Sammy. This is the second time within the last 24 hours you've blanked out," Henry remarked, snapping his fingers in front of my face. "Are you sure you're ok?"

  
"I...I'm not sure," I answered, turning away. When had we gotten back here? Boris was sleeping again, ears still perked up.

  
"Do you want to talk about it?"

  
"Not really."

  
"Alright. You can tell me whenever you want."

  
"You're not going to relentlessly demand to know?"

  
"No. People tend to speak when they're ready."

  
"But...I'm not human."

  
"You are. Even though you're all inky, you're still the same Sammy Lawrence I knew before leaving. You're still a human."

  
Henry went back to sleep then. He was the opposite of Bendy. He didn't get angry easily, let me have privacy...It was almost like everything Bendy did was wrong.

  
"But that couldn't be right," my heart argued. "He's told you over and over, he loves you. Right?"

  
"Right," I admitted to myself.

  
"But he didn't act like it. Henry doesn't love you, but he treats you less harshly," my brain pointed out.

  
"Maybe that's what love does to people. It makes them want to protect you, so they hurt you to toughen you up, demand to know everything so they can learn if someone is going after you, set boundaries so they can quickly come to the rescue if you're in trouble..."

  
"That's just twisted," my brain interjected.

  
I left them to argue as I sat admist the fallen debris, watching the darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I have the least consistent update schedule ever. :P Sorry 'bout that! Blame me for finding out I'm a theater geek. Anywho, since the Chapter 3 trailer is coming out tomorrow, I thought "I should publish this to celebrate/because it's as good as I want it to be."
> 
> Enough making poor excuses for myself! I'll attempt to get the next chapter published in less than ~3 weeks next time and not get sidetracked by other ideas.

"What the hell is this?" Henry wondered.

  
I sat up, feeling consciousness return. Did I fall asleep? When? I didn't know, and I didn't care. "What the hell is what?"

  
"Chocolate?" Boris stared bug-eyed at the candies. "How did those get here?"

  
"Are they still good?" Henry wondered, picking one up and unwrapping it. "Looks fresh. No white mold."

  
I took one. I hadn't eaten anything fresh for...who knows how long? My days were filled with old cans of bad soup. I took the chocolate and wrapper from him and took a bite. The rich taste of it spread across my palate. Dark chocolate. My favorite. A piece of paper fluttered out, and I quickly snatched it.

  
"Hope you like the chocolate, dear Sammy! It took a bit of effort to get these, but I bet it was worth it~!' The note read. Bendy.

  
"What's that?" Boris asked, peeking over.

  
"A note. Nothing important," I brushed off, crumpling it up and letting the paper soak with ink. It fell apart in my fingers, and I watched the pieces fall to the floor.

  
"At least we get something other than old bacon soup," Henry remarked, pocketing the chocolates.

 

The others probably also contained notes. Bendy wouldn't just insert one and hope I received it. No. He'd plan ahead. Hopefully they'd ignore them when they found them and no one would be bothered to ask.

 

"Out of curiosity, what'd the note say?" Henry asked, interrupting my thoughts. Shit.

  
"It wasn't important," I repeated. "Come on, we should go before it gets darker. That's when the Searchers come out."

  
"We have plenty of time; it's 7 A.M.," Boris remarked, holding up a pocket watch. "Besides, it doesn't 'get darker' here; your excuse is invalid. Tell us what it said."

  
"He doesn't have to," Henry reminded.

  
"Yeah, I don't want to."

  
"Why?" Boris asked.

  
"...It's from Bendy."

  
Henry's face darkened. "On second thought, we're not going to eat these. Who knows what he put in them? If you start feeling sick, let me know, alright?"

  
"Ok," I agreed. I did feel sick, but not in the way he meant. Sick because I knew why he did it, and I was starting to want to just give into him.

  
\---

  
"What's that?" Bendy asked, peeking behind my shoulder.

  
"Dark chocolate," I answered, trying to get him to go away.

  
It didn't work. "Can I try some?"

  
"No, you wouldn't like it. It's not that sweet."

  
"Aw. You're killing me, Sammy!"

  
"Maybe then I'll get work done. Why don't you go bother Henry upstairs?"

  
"He isn't as fun as you."

  
"That's a lie if I've ever heard one."

  
"What I'm trying to say is I like you better."

  
I felt my heart beat quicken, but as soon as it started, I suppressed it. He was a cartoon character, for God's sake! But he still loved me...No, not in the same way I loved him. I was a 24 year old man, not a hopeless romantic teenager. I wasn't going to hope he would ever return my feelings.

  
"Saaaammyyyy," Bendy called, waving his hand in front of my face. "Pay attention to meeee."

  
"Sorry," I muttered.

  
"Stop ignoring me. It feels like you act different around me. You chat with everyone else and easily get swept up in conversations with Susie, but around me you shut up. What's going on, pal?"

  
"I can't tell you."

  
"Why?"

  
_'Because you'll think I'm a creep,'_ I thought, biting my tongue. Instead, I answered "It's complicated."

  
"So? The world is complicated. You said you'd tell the truth to me, so do it or I'm never coming back to visit you ever again. And that's not a threat; it's a promise."

  
"I don't want to."

  
"Fine. Bye bye."

  
I turned to face the toon. His eyes were sad, accompanied by a frown as he started to drudge out. Knowing I hurt him was what convinced me. "I love you," I muttered.

  
"Gee, Sammy. What's new? I already know that," Bendy remarked, rolling his eyes. At least he wasn't leaving anymore.

  
"No, not as a friend. More. Much more." As soon as I had begun speaking, it all spilled out. How I pretended to not be interested just so I would stop feeling myself grow hot near him. How I went home and wished he was there. How I hoped he would go away so I'd stop angsting over him. How I wanted him.

  
I couldn't meet his eyes. "I know, I'm a creep. So go on ahead, go upstairs and lea-"

  
Bendy grabbed me and forced me to turn around. "Sammy, Sammy, Sammy. Look into my eyes. You've been lying to me?"

  
"Well, I pretended to not be interested, but-"

  
"You lied about how you felt about me. You said you wouldn't lie."

  
"I'm sorry! I was just super embarrassed about it and I-"

  
"But, I will forgive you for it. If you do one thing."

  
"Really?"

  
"Yup. Instead of Joey bringing me to his house after work, I go to yours. He'll be fine with it, so don't worry."

  
"I..."

  
"You what?"

  
I didn't know how to respond. He wasn't creeped out? Did he like me back? Of course not. He'd say something. But...

  
"You know what? I'm taking that as a yes," Bendy decided for me. "I'll see ya later, my darling Sammy~."

  
The way he said goodbye raised my suspicions. They were raised even more when he leaned over to leave a peck on my cheek.

 

\---

  
A thump on my head bought me back from my memory.

  
I flinched and almost apologized before realizing it was Boris, not Bendy. "H- hey!" I snapped instead, casting daggers at the wolf.

  
"Sorry. You keep spacing out and it's annoying," Boris excused.

  
"Let him space out," Henry said. "If we need him, go ahead and get his attention."

  
"Preferably without being hit," I muttered.

  
"Sorry," Boris repeated. "Why do you space out so much?"

  
"Memories."

  
"What kind? Good ones? I remember when I first woke up after Joey created me. Bendy was in the corner of the room, arms crossed. And then he asked Joey if I was going to replace him, so I said 'No, I'm going to be your best friend' and went over to give him a hug. He was so cute and tiny. He was only 3 feet tall, and I'm 7 feet. That was a good day, but-"

  
"Wait. Bendy told me you tried to attack him."

  
Boris gave me a weird look. "No. Sure, we were sometimes friends in the cartoon and sometimes rivals, but I didn't ever try to hurt him intentionally."

  
"He told me before I...before I helped him..."

  
"Then he was lying," Henry cut in. "I was there too when he got created; Boris was always my favorite."

  
"Shucks, Henry. You're just saying that," Boris teased.

  
"I'm not. Anyway, Boris didn't hurt Bendy at all."

  
I couldn't believe he had lied to me. "Um...so how come I never saw Boris?"

  
"He liked upstairs better."

  
"Yeah. It's airier and less dark. Bendy just liked being alive, but down here...I always felt trapped. Bendy knew it. If I had to go downstairs, Bendy would accompany me in case I started hyperventilating or something. I miss the days when Bendy was nicer. It's better to have a demon for a friend rather than your enemy," Boris remarked." Whatever happened to him?"

"I don't know," Henry answered. "Sammy?"

  
I was silent for a few moments before shaking my head and staring down. "I don't. I just don't know."

  
_'But I wish I did know,'_ I added in my mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By dark chocolate, I mean 80% cacao or more. I like to think Sammy enjoys bitter foods ~~bitter like his soul~~.
> 
> Oh, almost forgot! Someone wondered if this would become a Henry/Sammy fic. While the answer is no, I thought about putting the sexualities of the characters (that have appeared as of now) here just in case anyone was curious (keep in mind these are just my silly headcanons and I'm sure I am most certainly incorrect on the canon sexualities).
> 
> Sammy: Panromantic/Pansexual  
> Henry: Heteroromantic (although he's also demiromantic)/Asexual  
> Bendy: Biromantic/Bisexual  
> Boris: Heteroromantic/Heterosexual


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, fuck. I said I'd try to publish in two weeks, and... well, I didn't make it. I'm sorry. There's an announcement I need to make. It's at the end of the chapter, so enjoy this first I guess.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Bendy cried, throwing rose petals into the air.

  
I couldn't resist smiling at the cartoon's antics, but I quickly refocused on my work.

  
"You're taking me back to your house again, right?" Bendy asked, tapping my shoulder.

  
"Hm? Yes, of course," I answered briefly. Ever since I admitted my...feelings, Bendy always made me take him to my house at the end of the week. Joey never said anything, so I think it was fine. It was perfectly fine with me. I got to have him for two days.

  
But since that day, we never acknowledged what I confessed or how he felt about it. I tried bringing it up, but Bendy always changed the subject instead of answering. I took it to mean he didn't feel the same and just wanted to be friends. I just wished he would say that instead of dance around it.

  
"Good. I have a surprise for you."

  
I guess my face betrayed my emotions because Bendy then laughed. "It's nothing too big. Just a little something I thought you'd like.""

Great. Now the suspense is going to kill me for the rest of the day."

  
"Hey, it's not my fault you're easily distracted."

  
He had a point. Before he left, Bendy leaned over and his lips brushed against my ear, sending shivers down my spine. "I'll see you tonight, just you and me. I know you'll like it, you'll see."

  
After he walked out, I couldn't focus on my work for the rest of the day.

  
\---

  
"Then what happened?" Henry asked.

  
I jumped. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to disturb you!"

  
"It's fine. You've been talking to yourself ever since Boris went to sleep. I tried, but..."

  
"Sorry. I'm just crazy."

  
"Can't argue with that. But continue with your story."

  
This would be another instance of my face burning if I was human again. "I didn't even mean to be telling it out loud."

  
"If you don't want to talk about it, it's ok."

  
"...why do you never force me to talk about whatever is on my mind?"

"I've already said why before. But to add another reason, because it's not right. Plus, would you like not having any privacy?"

  
"I don't like it. Bendy always wanted to know where and when I was going, did I talk to anyone, if I did why didn't I listen to him, I'd get slapped for not obeying if it was really bad-"

  
"Woah, woah, woah. _What_ happened?"

  
"Bendy just wants to know everything I did while out of sight and punishes me when I didn't follow his rules. It's fine though! I always make him angry and push him to that point!"

  
"Sammy-"

  
"No! It's my fault! He would say some mean things, but he then he'd apologize! Then he'd make up for it-"

  
"Sammy." Henry put his hand on my shoulder but quickly removed it after seeing me flinch. Instead, he moved so I was facing him. "He was abusing you?"

  
"N- no." Why did that one word taste so bitter? It wasn't abuse. Bendy always apologized afterwards. Besides, men didn't get abused. It was women who were hurt by the men that were abused. "I shouldn't have even told you this. I'm already a monster. But now..."

  
"No, I'm glad you told me. It's a good thing you did. Now I feel better not letting Boris just leave you behind in the room you met us in."

  
"Why?"

  
"Because then you'd be stuck with Bendy."

  
I pushed him away. "Whatever."

  
Henry gave me a look, but didn't say anything. Moments passed between us in silence. I could hear Boris still snoring, despite being further down the hall. Why had I helped kill him? Sure, he could be annoying at times, but he was still innocent. I knew it from the cartoons, so it'd make sense for his personality to transfer into the real world. Why hadn't I thought of that before? I didn't know the answer. We were still quiet.

  
"At...at the end of the day, I went to go get Bendy," I finally continued. "I couldn't find him at first, and everyone else was gone. But then I found him. He had a giant box of chocolates, and he showed me a shiny new grand piano. I don't know if it's true, but he said he had convinced Joey to buy it for him to gift to me. I went over and began to play while he started to sing along. It was a beautiful evening.

  
"After a while, we returned to my home. It started off normally, but before I fell asleep, he leaped in bed with me. He had never done that before, but I didn't mind. He was so warm. I soon fell asleep like it was a normal evening. When I woke up, there he was, cuddled up next to me. I started to sit up, but he reached back to pull me down. He snuggled closer and whispered 'I always knew you loved me, Lawrence. Betcha never figured out I loved ya too'. I kissed the top of his head, and he fell asleep purring like a cat, still cuddled up close to me. That's all, but it was one of the best days of my life."

  
Henry didn't respond. Maybe he hadn't actually been listening. Or he just couldn't face me after I had revealed something so private about myself.

  
"I get it. I'm a creep. Only Bendy accepts me."

  
"No, you're not," Henry replied. "I don't care that you're gay. It's just...he's been playing you for quite a while now."

  
Of course he'd assume I was gay. Why did everyone think that? Out loud, I sighed. "I don't know. Sometimes I'll tell myself it's better this way. Not being with him, I mean. But deep down, I still love him. I often tell myself that I cause him to be angry and snap."

  
"Why would he get angry?"

  
"Little things. Talking to someone else that wasn't him, not returning in the time I promised, not telling him everything I did and said, stuff like that."

  
"I'm going to be blunt. That's stupid."

  
"He just cares about me and wants to make sure I didn't get hurt! At least, I think so..."

  
"If he didn't want you getting hurt, why would he hurt you in turn?"

  
He had a point there, but... "I'm sure he has his reasons. Probably just so he could punish me for not thinking through? I should think beforehand."

  
Henry sighed. "You can believe what you want, Sammy. But at least consider my advice; don't go back to Bendy."

  
Before I could reply, a scream echoed in the halls.

  
"The hell was that?" Henry asked.

  
"Boris!" I cried. "That sounds like him!"

  
"Not sure I want to know how you know, but we need to go check," Henry stated, dashing towards the direction of the scream.

  
I hesitated. He could be running into his death. I could just let him go to Bendy and I wouldn't be accused of betraying Henry. On the other hand, that could lead him to believe I don't care and get angry.

  
"Sammy, what's holding you up?" Henry called, already down the hall. He didn't sound angry or upset. Just...confused.

  
"C- coming!" I replied, running to catch up with him. Maybe I could kill him first before Bendy got to him.

  
Wait. Why was I thinking these things? Henry's been kind to me. I've been traveling with him and he's gotten me to open up. Why would I kill him?

  
"Admit it. You'd like to see his blood run and then feed off of it," a dark part of me whispered.

  
That dark part was right. But at the same time, I didn't believe. I ignored it as I ran to catch up with Henry.

  
"He...he's gone," Henry gasped.

  
I didn't have to ask who "he" was. There were ink smears everywhere, as if a fight had occurred. And I only knew 2 people- or rather, toons- who bled ink.

  
"Bendy took him," I murmured. A cackle echoed in the room.

  
Henry and I whipped our heads around to see a tall, inky figure lounging on the wall behind us.

  
"Looking for someone, you two? Bendy asked, sporting a smirk.

  
"What'd you do to him?!" Henry cried, gripping his axe.

  
"Who said I did anything?" Bendy retorted and then waved to me. "Hi, Sammy. How are you?"

  
"What did you do?" I repeated, ignoring his greeting.

  
Bendy huffed. "How rude, brushing off an old friend- or lover in this case. Anywho, I didn't do anything to Boris."

  
"Why should we believe you?" Henry asked.

  
"Isn't it your companion who said it was time to believe? Maybe you should listen."

  
"What do you want, Bendy?" I finally asked.

  
"Finally! At least one of you wants to get down to business! I know where Boris is, and I'll help you get him back...for a price."

  
"What price?"

  
"Sammy!" Henry hissed. "We can't trust him!"

  
The ink demon's grin grew. "Good question, Sammy. I want you, and in exchange I'll give a hint on where Boris is."

  
"That's not a fair trade," Henry spoke.

  
"It is to me. Boris is more important to you rather than some coworker of yours who barely interacted with you, isn't he?"

  
"Then why's he important to you?"

  
I heard them argue, but the words didn't register. All I could think about what he had wanted. Me.

  
"Tick tock," Bendy remarked, holding up a pocket watch while slowly swinging it back and forth.

  
I stepped forward. "Deal."

  
"Sammy!" Henry cried, trying to hold me back.

  
I shrugged him off. Why was he trying to stop me? "You'll get Boris back. You don't need me."

  
"B- but-"

  
"But what? I literally have no significance to you. Do you just let me follow you around as a joke? Do you and Boris make fun of me when I go run away like a coward?"

  
"You were the one who insisted on coming along with me! I don't want you getting hurt again. You're- you're a good friend, Sammy. Like you used to be when I worked here."

  
Friend? Did he just say I was a friend to him? But Bendy just said I barely interacted with him. Who was telling the truth?

  
"We'll find Boris together, without Bendy's help. Alright?"

  
I was about to turn back, but Bendy was smiling at me. I recognized it. It was the one he used after apologizing, and he'd tell me I'd be fine as he rubbed my back and gave me gentle kisses.

  
"Sammy, don't you remember? Humans lie. He could easily tell you lies to any question you asked. How do you know he's telling the truth?"

  
I didn't. But a new question snaked into my mind: How did I know _Bendy_ wasn't lying to me? How come I never thought about that?  
I looked back and forth between them. Henry with his eyes full of hope, and Bendy with his promises of freedom. If I didn't choose soon, what would they do? Probably kill each other over me. I had to make a choice. I cared about both of them, but...I had to do the way that would eventually satisfy both of them in the long run.

  
"Sammy..." Henry gasped as I stepped away from him.

  
"I'm sorry, Henry," I whispered softly as Bendy wrapped his arms around me.

  
"Aw, what's wrong, Henry? Sad you weren't able to use Sammy as your pawn this time?" Bendy taunted.

  
"'This time'?" I repeated.

  
Henry didn't answer as he slowly stepped back a few feet, and then charged at Bendy, axe ready.

 

Bendy quickly moved me in Henry's path. "Careful. Wouldn't want to hurt this loner, now wouldn't you?"

  
Henry quickly skidded to a stop. "Give him back. Sammy, I don't care that you're 'giving yourself up for me'. I'm not making a deal with a devil and using you as a bargaining chip."

  
"It's not a deal. It's a trade," I corrected.

  
"You can't control someone, Henry," Bendy pointed out, pulling me back to him. "Sammy wants to be with me."

  
"How funny to hear you say that when you've controlled him before," Henry retorted.

  
The ink demon hissed. "Excuse me?"

  
"You heard me. I'm not trying to control him. I'm telling him it's a bad idea to go back to you."

  
"Why do you even care?! He's not your boyfriend, is he? Or am I mistaken?"

  
_Did_ Henry like me like that? I snuck a look at him. He was handsome, but...

  
"I don't like him like that. I had a wife, and Sammy is a friend. A friend doesn't let a friend give themselves up to someone who's going to hurt them."

  
A strange feeling crept into my mind. It was similar to love, yet...different. Was this friendship? I forced Bendy's arms off of me.

  
"What are you doing, fool?!" Bendy cried as I walked away from him.  "He's lying to manipulate you! Is this for what I said? You know, I didn't mean it. You're just too sensitive."

I ignored him and walked past Henry. "Let's go."

  
"Sammy! Get back here right now!" Bendy ordered.

  
I turned around and threw my mask at him. "You can't control someone, Bendy."

  
Henry followed me out and we walked in silence for a while.

  
"I wish I hadn't done that," I finally muttered.

  
"Why? You made a good choice by leaving him," Henry replied.

 

"No, gotten rid of my mask. I feel naked without it."

  
"If we find something else to use as one, you can have it."

  
"Thanks."

  
More silence.

  
"Was it true?"

  
"Was what true?"

  
"That I'm your friend?"

  
"I'm guessing you don't remember."

  
"Remember what?"

  
Henry led me into a side room. "Let's get some rest, since you didn't get any earlier. I'll tell you later. Is that ok?"

  
I nodded, as he was right. I was tired. It was odd. Ever since I first encountered Henry, I was actually able to sleep, when before I wasn't. I was also beginning to remember things from before. What was it about him that was changing me this way?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, announcement. I really wish I didn't have to do this, but I'm going to put this story on a hiatus. I know no one likes that word, but school is starting up in two days for me, and that's my first priority. Also, I've been having a bit of writer's block on this fic. I know how I want to end it (hint: it's not going to be a happy one...necessarily), but I don't know how to connect the story to the end without making it feel rushed, y'know?
> 
> I'm sorry. I might do some one-shots in the meantime (probably for Be More Chill and/or Dear Evan Hansen, since that's my main fandom at the moment, but there's always the possibility of a BATIM one if I get an idea). And Chapter 3 is coming out this month, so perhaps I can get some ideas from it? Who knows?


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm (kinda) back.
> 
> I'm just gonna say this now, but...I'm into new fandoms now. I'm a complete theater geek, and I also like South Park. I'm no longer a big BATIM fan. I dunno, Chapter 3 disappointed me. I don't know how.
> 
> However, I still want to write this story because it's gonna frustrate me if I don't finish it. It may not be 100% as good as before (and it's definitely canon divergent; I wrote most of this before Chap. 3 came out), so don't have super high expectations.
> 
> Also, don't expect regular updates from here on out. This will be a "I'll update when I feel like it" kind of story and I'll mainly be working on fanfics for musicals.
> 
> Last of all, there's implied torture and murder in this chapter. Enjoy?

Chapter 6

  
"Sammy, are you almost done with the music?" Joey called.

  
I paused to look up from the sheet. "Just a bit of tinkering, Mr. Drew!"

  
"That's good! Remember, we need it by the end of Monday!"

  
I went back to work, but not long before I felt a hand upon my shoulder. I looked up once again to see Henry standing there with a kind smile.

  
"Hey, it's time to go, Sammy. I'm headed to the bar with a couple other coworkers. You wanna come?" Henry offered.

  
"I..." I trailed off. I really wanted to finish, but didn't I promise I'd go this week?

  
"It's fine if you don't!" Henry quickly added. "Just thought I'd ask."

  
"No, I'll go," I answered. "I told you I'd go, and I'm not going back on it. I mean, it's my third week here, but I barely know anyone."

  
"You sure? I'm not pressuring you."

  
"Henry, lead me to the damn bar."

  
The older man shrugged and went outside. I followed behind, feeling a bit nervous. Henry and Joey were the only ones I had really met so far. Sure, I saw my coworkers daily, but I never talked to them.

  
One short walk later, we had arrived. Henry opened the door and gestured to me to enter. I hesitantly entered the crowded building, full of people and chatter. In the far corner, I recognized a few faces from work. Henry led me to them.

  
"Hey, guys! I'm here!" Henry greeted when we made it. "You might've seen him already, but this is Sammy."

  
I cleared my throat as two pairs of eyes turned to me. "Uh, hi."

  
"You're that new guy, eh?" One man asked, a Chicago accent accompanying him. "Didn't you join the team three weeks ago or somethin'?"

  
"I, um, didn't feel so well the last few times, so I couldn't come," I lied, proceeding to wave a waitress over and order a mug of ale.

  
"Naw, you were just shy," the other one chirped in (this one having a thick Southern accent). "Not a big deal. I'm Norman, the projectionist."

  
My face must have betrayed my reaction because Norman quickly explained. "When you walk in the halls at work, you're always ducking away from everyone else. Well, except Henry, but he's a guy who can make friends with anyone."

  
I nodded, and turned my attention the first man. "And you are...?"

  
"Name's Franks. Wally Franks," the Chicagoan introduced. "I'm just the janitor. I've seen you around, hidin' in your office."

  
I shrugged and took the mug from the waitress, who had just returned. Perhaps a drink would help relax me.

  
\---

  
"I remember it now," I interrupted. "Kind of. Not that well."

  
"You do?" Henry asked curiously.

  
"No wonder I recognized you. You were telling the truth. You really were my friend."

  
"I still am, aren't I?"

  
"Yes."

  
_'Friends. Really, Lawrence? Why grow attached to this feeble human? You know he'd be a perfect sacrifice,'_ I thought, before shutting it out.

Why was I having these thoughts? I liked Henry. He was nice to me.

  
The darkness came back. _'He's a liar. Everyone is. He'll leave you behind once he's done with you. Like everyone does. Why let yourself go through the pain again? First Susie, then Bendy, and soon Henry.'_

  
"Sammy? What's wrong?"

  
I quickly snapped out of my thoughts. "Nothing!"

  
Henry raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"

  
"Yes," I lied. "We need to figure out how to get Boris back."

  
"Right," Henry agreed. "And I'm just going to remind you, sacrificing yourself to Bendy or accepting his help is a recipe for disaster."

  
I nodded. "Is it possible he's upstairs somewhere?"

  
The former animator frowned. "Is it even possible to get back up there?"

  
"If you can turn yourself into liquid, yes."

  
"Alright. You can look. Just be careful, ok? I'll still be here."

  
"I will. I swear."

  
I stepped into the wall and decondensed. I was liquid ink now. I traveled up, knowing I'd eventually reached the top floor. I became solid again after stepping into the room housing the ink machine. I vaguely remembered this floor.

  
I started exploring, first going straight. There was no sign of anyone, except for the open trap door near the exit. That must've been how Henry ended up in the music department. I passed by it and went back to the ink machine room, this time turning down the other hall. It branched off from there. Why was this place designed almost like a maze?

  
I turned left and hit a dead end. While there was no sign of Boris, there was a Bendy cutout standing near the entrance. I tried ripping the head off, but it wouldn't budge. Sighing in frustration, I left it alone and went down the other way. Nothing much on the right, but to the left-

  
"It's still here," I murmured. The operating table was still upright, connected to a pipe and covered in ink splotches. I still remembered that day clearly.

  
\---

  
"What's going on?!" Boris cried, struggling against his restraints.  "Bendy?! Who's that?!"

  
"Obviously, Boris, he's my partner. Sammy, dear, would you mind gagging him? He never could keep his mouth shut," Bendy remarked in a bored tone.

  
"Of course, my lord," I obeyed, going over and tying a cloth around Boris' mouth. He tried snapping at me, but I managed to succeed.

  
"Perfect," Bendy complimented, his voice taking on one of a sadist. "I've been waiting for this for a long time. How do you feel now, Boris? Huh? How do you feel being the one who failed? The one whose plan backfired?"

  
The wolf tried screaming through the gag, but nobody came. Not that anyone was left in the studio. I had woken up alone, and Bendy had found me. Why I was an ink creature, I didn't know, but Bendy had assured me I was fine. He told me I had to help him though. I guess this was me helping.

  
"Yeah, keep screaming. Like that'll help," Bendy taunted, venom in his voice. "Sammy, hand me the scapula. Let's end this once and for all."

  
\---

  
I stopped myself. That memory...it was too horrible to relive. Why? Why had I been foolish enough to believe Bendy? I glanced over and saw the message the demon had written on the wall using Boris' ink: "Who's laughing now?" Just seeing it sent shivers down my spine.  I quickly left the room and made it back down to the lower levels.

  
"Henry, I didn't- Where are you?" I wondered out loud, seeing he wasn't there. In fact, there wasn't any sign of anyone. I walked onward, calling for him.

  
"Henry? It's me, Sammy. I'm back."

  
No response.

  
"Henry? Where are you? If you're scared about Bendy, just signal me or something."

  
Nothing.

  
"Henry, this isn't funny! Actually, this is more like something Joey would do, but stop it!"

  
Still nothing. Something told me I had to get out of there, but I kept going. I needed to find him.

  
"Sheep, sheep, sheep, it's time for sleep," I whisper-sung to myself in an attempt to comfort myself. "Rest your head, it's time for bed."

  
It didn't work. I tried telling myself that Henry was alright. Or I had ended up in the wrong section of the workshop. Could it be that simple?

  
"Nope, you're in the right section. Just at the wrong time," I heard someone hiss. Someone very familiar.

  
Before I could react, I was knocked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're wondering what Bendy means by "being the one who always failed", I had this headcanon Bendy and Boris had this rivalry in the cartoon, similar to Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote from Looney Tunes. Except, you know, Bendy isn't trying to capture Boris to eat him; he's just trying to prank or one up him or something.
> 
> And side note: Even though this is canon divergent, I'll try having some characters from Chap. 3 show up (no, this is not a spoiler for the next chapter. Maybe. I dunno.)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone still reading this fic, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking by, even though this hasn't been updated in about a year. It makes me happy that people enjoy my writing so much that they're willing to stay and wait. That's really awesome.
> 
> If you haven't read this in a while, I'd recommend going back and rereading; when a fic I like suddenly updates and I try reading the latest chapter, I'm usually confused, ha ha.
> 
> I have some messages at the end, but let's get into the story first! I hope you enjoy!

I came to in a barren room, tied to a chair.

"What the hell happened?" I heard behind.

I turned around to see Henry also tied to a chair.

"Henry! Thank goodness you're ok. I didn't find Boris, but when I came back to tell you, you were gone," I explained.

"Wha- Sammy? He got you too? Oh no. We need to escape," Henry whispered.

"Why?"

"When Bendy confronts me, it's not a good thing. When it's both of us, you know he has something planned."

Bendy chose that moment to saunter in. "Am I interrupting something?"

We both froze.

"I thought so. Care to tell me, or should I get to the point?"

"What do you want this time? We already refused your little deal before," Henry spat.

"Oh, just to remind you that I get what I want," Bendy answered. "You can choose to accept the deal, or..." Bendy grabbed my chair and pulled it toward him. "I'll take Sammy for myself."

I tried turning into liquid, but it was too exhausting. I didn't have enough energy to do it, so instead I settled for trying to squirm out.

"Naw-ah-ah," Bendy grabbed my arm. "You're not going anywhere. Now, Henry, tell me. Get your hint about Boris, or throw it away?"

"I'll get you later," Henry mouthed to me. I nodded very slightly to show I understood.

"Tick to-" Bendy started saying, but Henry cut him off.

"I want the hint. I'll take your deal."

"Excellent!" Bendy cried, smiling wider than usual. “Let me just get you out of those ropes.”

Before Henry could protest, Bendy went over and pulled the end of the ropes restraining him. He stepped back as Henry jumped up and kicked the chair towards him.

“Hey, calm down! I gotta keep my promise, Henry!” Bendy said, dodging the chair. Henry stopped moving but looked at me and tilted his head towards the exit.

“Anyway, here's your hint," Bendy continued as he walked back and grabbed onto me again. He still had that unnerving grin on his face. “Watch out.”

"What do you-" Henry was cut off as Boris charged out from a small side room and tackled him. "What the- Boris! Stop it!"

The wolf didn't listen and began clawing and biting Henry. All I could do was watch as the man struggled in vain to fight back. Bendy still held onto me and still had that damn smile on.

After a while, Boris stepped back. Henry had passed out, the wounds bleeding out.

"Good boy," Bendy complimented Boris. He finally let go of me, untied me from the chair, and handed me an axe. "Now, dispose of him."

"By dispose, do you mean-"

"I mean get him out of here. But before that, deliver the final blow."

I gulped, looking back at Henry. "As in, killing blow?"

"Of course I do! What do you think I mean?! Go ahead. Just take that axe and swing it into him."

I stepped towards the body. I swung the axe behind me but drew back. No. I wouldn't give in.

"What's wrong? You've never had a problem before," Bendy remarked.

"I, uh, I just want to do it when he's conscious? You know, so I can hear his screams?" I tried.

I could hear Bendy's skepticism in his voice when he responded. "Whatever you say, Sammy. Fine. You can ambush him later. It's not like he can actually get out of the workshop. I want evidence though. Got it?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Good. Now get rid of him."

I dragged Henry's body out of the room and down the hall. I could run off right now with him. I could escape Bendy, and we could defeat him. I would be free. Truly free.

"And what do you think you're doing?" I heard Bendy wonder, sending shivers up my spine.

"N- nothing, my lord!" I quickly answered, spinning around to face him. Had he followed me?

"You're lying, Sammy. I heard every word." Bendy took a step closer. I cautiously took a step back and he smirked. "You're afraid of me, aren't you?"

I didn't answer. It wasn't needed.

"I knew it. You're a freaking coward, Sammy. You could never kill him. Has Henry really turned you into this weakling? I was there to make you stronger, but you keep pushing me away. He's a bad influence on you, Sammy. Get over here."

I ignored him. I couldn't abandon my friend.

Bendy snarled. "Your friend? Really, Sammy? You believe he's your friend? He's just like other people. Once he's done with you, he'll leave you behind. I'm the only one who won't leave you behind. Come here."

I didn't want to, but I found myself trudging towards Bendy. It was too late when I realized Henry had regained consciousness sometime during our exchange.

"...I trusted you," I heard him quietly whisper. I quickly looked behind me to see Henry staring in shock.

I wanted to run back, to tell him it wasn't what he thought, but he scrambled up and started running out.

"I'll go after him," Boris growled. When had he gotten here? Why was he being so aggressive? I didn't get to ask as Boris sprinted after Henry.

"There," Bendy remarked. "You don't need to worry about him anymore."

I nodded, feeling numb. There was nothing I could do or say.

\---

"I can't believe he freaking got away!" Bendy roared, slamming his fist through the wall after Boris returned emptyhanded. The wood splintered around it as I cowered at the other end of the room, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire.

"Freaking Alice Angel. She never takes in 'poor innocent souls'. That little lying beach...she's doing it to piss me off," Bendy muttered. "Sammy!"

I looked up. "Y- yes, my lord?"

"You haven't interacted with that wretched she-demon, have you?"  
I shook my head. It was true; I hadn't even known she was brought to life.

"Good. This is your chance to redeem yourself. Go get Henry back."

"B- but, my lord-"

"Are you talking back? Did you not hear me? Go. Get. Henry. Back. I'll send Boris to accompany you since you don’t know where she is. Now get out of my presence and wait for Boris."

"...Yes, my lord."

I trudged out. Now that I had met Henry and he had told me the truth, I could see he was the one who was right.

I was suddenly reminded of a cartoon released by a rival studio. I couldn't remember the main characters, but the villain was almost always a devil. He'd tempt the main characters, and they'd give in only to be tricked into giving up their souls. The short that made them famous was called "Don't Deal with the Devil". How ironic that it applied to me.

"Sammy!"

I snapped out of my thoughts to see Boris approach, looking like his usual happy-go-lucky self.

"Ready to resc- er, recapture Henry?" Boris corrected, winking at me.

"Um...ok," I responded, uncertain.

"Bring him back alive! I want to make him suffer for what he's done!" Bendy yelled from inside the room. "Now off you go!"

Boris began walking off, and I followed. The path seemed vaguely familiar, but I wasn't sure why. We walked for a while in silence.

"Remember Susie?" Boris suddenly asked.

I shook my head. "Not very well. I think she had shining green eyes. That's all I remember. Why?"

"No reason. She was Alice's voice actor," Boris explained. There was an uncomfortable silence in the air, as if he had more to say, but nothing came. He didn’t speak again until we had entered a room filled with Alice Angel memorabilia.

"Well, Alice is...she's not exactly like herself in the cartoon. I mean, you've seen Bendy, but unlike him… Well, just don't say anything."

"Don’t say anything about what, Boris, darling?" A somewhat gravelly voice rang out.

I could see no one, but the door behind us suddenly closed with a loud shut. The room was dimly lit except for a small area behind a glass pane in front of us. I cautiously approached it.

"Sammy, wait!" Boris tried warning, but it was too late.

"Don't say anything about WHAT, Boris?! Me?!" A figure popped out from behind the glass and started to bang it, almost as if it was trying to get to me. I immediately jumped back as it screamed and continued banging on the glass.

The lights blacked out before it could break through, but I did get a glimpse of the creature. Standing on the other side was a once beautiful, now deformed angel and she-demon. Alice Angel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, Happy Halloween, everyone! Eat lots of candy, have fun, and don't let the monsters get to you.
> 
> Second, I need your help. Since I'm no longer a BATIM fan (I keep writing this for you guys and because I have a theory my unconscious is telling me to finish this fic because I haven't been able to write any other fanfics), I haven't kept up with the game. My latest knowledge is from the first version of Chapter 3. If anyone could link me to playthroughs of all the chapters, I'd be very grateful. My only criteria is that it's the latest version of the chapter and it's under an hour long. Thank you.
> 
> Third, I wrote an original short story for Halloween! It's called "Are There Any Monsters Here?", and if you're interested, here's a link to it: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16446188
> 
> That's all for now! I'm going to community college now, so I've been working on this during my breaks on Tuesday and Thursday. I'll try posting again by January 2019. Hopefully I can keep this promise.

**Author's Note:**

> Like I said, please leave criticism so I can write this to the best of my abilities. Have a nice day!


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